


Life with You is Always Full of Surprises

by icedragon822



Series: The Lance Family Chronicles [1]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Engagement, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Marriage, Motherhood, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 08:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14053371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icedragon822/pseuds/icedragon822
Summary: Ava and Sara begin to build a life together, from girlfriends to wives to mothers. And throughout it all, their life is always full of surprises.





	1. Will you marry me?

**Author's Note:**

> 3x15 tore. me. up. I wanted to write something that's fluffy and mostly happy and shows Ava and Sara as they move through life with one another.

Even after two years of dating and two years of marriage, Sara Lance still continually surprised Ava. 

The fact that they were married was a surprise enough. Before their relationship began, Ava had always assumed that Sara had a man or a woman in every port (or, in this case, every time period), and that she wasn’t one to settle down with one person. But Ava quickly discovered that despite Sara’s past tendencies toward casual hookups, and all of her doubts, and a couple of brief, very unhappy periods apart when she thought she was too broken and that Ava deserved better, Sara was fiercely loyal and fiercely committed to their relationship. 

Being Sara’s girlfriend had been an adventure in itself. It was filled with fights with pirates and Old West outlaws and futuristic supersoldiers. It was marred by Sara’s moodiness and insecurities and fear. But it was also filled with quiet nights on the Waverider holding a naked Sara in her arms, skin-to-skin, and running her fingers through her hair. It was lazily lounging on the couch of Ava’s apartment in Star City, eating takeout pizza and watching reality shows that both Sara and Ava would never admit to actually enjoying. It was eating donuts with Zari, teasing Mick, geeking out with Ray, and complimenting Gideon on the night’s dinner. It was showering with Sara after a sparring match and giggling like an idiot when Sara talked in her sleep. Their relationship was exhausting, and exasperating, and more fun than Ava could have ever imagined. But somehow, she never expected it to be permanent. She didn’t envision Sara ever wanting to settle down. 

And yet one day, almost two years to the day after their failed first date in that stuffy restaurant, Sara, with tears in her eyes, pulled out her grandmother’s ring and asked Ava to marry her. 

“You care about me, and you love me even though I’m sometimes pretty damn unlovable. You remind me who I am even when I forget. You make me happier than I’ve ever been in my life. You fix the broken parts of me. You complete me, Ava Sharpe, and I want you to keep loving me and completing me for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?” 

How could Ava say no to that?

They married in a small, simple ceremony on the Waverider, because neither Ava nor Sara would have had it anywhere else. Their team, who had become their family, was at their side. Gary officiated and started crying so hard that Amaya had to take his place to finish the ceremony. They spent a glorious ten-day honeymoon in Aruba, although Ava frequently had to calm Sara’s fears about Ray’s ability to captain the Waverider while she was gone. 

They split their time between the Waverider and the apartment in Star City, trying to inject some semblance of normalcy into their very unconventional life together. Ava spent 1 to 2 nights a week alone in the apartment, but Sara more than made up for it with dinner and drinks and mind-blowing sex when she returned.


	2. What do you think about babies?

It was after a long and VERY good session of lovemaking that Sara gave Ava another surprise.

“What do you think about babies?” she asked as she gently stroked Ava’s forearm. 

“Babies? Like, human babies? I mean, of course I like babies. Why do you ask?”

“Because I want to have a baby. With you. I want US to have a baby.”

Ava hadn’t taken Sara for the baby type. But then again, she hadn’t taken her for the marrying type, and here they were. Truth be told, Ava had always wanted children someday, but after she and Sara got married she never thought that they would expand their family. Ava was running the Time Bureau like a well-oiled machine, which took up the vast majority of her time, and Sara spent almost all of her time on a timeship chasing down anachronisms and trying to save the world. A baby didn’t seem to fit into this picture. 

Ava turned in Sara’s arms to look her wife in the eye. “You want us to have a baby? I… I would love to have a baby with you. You know that. But I’m not sure that we can. Look at how we live our lives. We really only see each other at night, and a few nights a week we don’t even get that.” 

“How is that different than most families? I know a lot of people with normal jobs who see each other just as often as we do. And anyway… I was thinking of making some changes. Maybe only spending a day or two a week on the Waverider, or even just a few days a month if that works better for us. Ray’s a more than capable enough captain. That way I’d be there for you, and the baby if we have one.” 

Ava narrowed her eyes. “You’ve really thought about this.” 

Sara jokingly pushed at Ava’s shoulder. “Of COURSE I’ve thought about this! I really want to make this work. I love you, and I want to start a family with you.”

Ava doesn’t know whether it was the pouty smile that Sara gave her (the smile she knew Ava couldn’t resist), or the fact that deep down, she’d been dreaming of having this conversation for as long as she could remember, but within three months of Sara asking what she thought of babies, Ava was pregnant. Sara’s friend Kara Danvers had told Sara that her sister, Alex, had perfected a Kryptonian technology in which parents’ DNA was combined in a laboratory, and the resulting embryo was implanted in the mother. It allowed their baby to be equal parts Sara and Ava and no need to rely on an anonymous sperm donor, which thrilled both of them. 

They decided that Ava would carry the baby. Her work role could easily be converted into a desk job, and they both knew that Sara would find it impossible to not be able to fight or do any other strenuous exercise for months at a time. Plus, as Sara pointed out, “You know I’d be a pain in your ass if I was pregnant.”

Ava found the pregnancy less difficult than she expected. She experienced a little nausea in the first few months, but otherwise was perfectly healthy and amazed to see her body changing to accommodate the growing baby inside her. She felt the baby move for the first time when she and Sara were home in Star City, watching the same god-awful reality show they’d watched for years. Ava complained that her stomach had been feeling odd all night, and that she was having the strangest fluttering gas pains. Sara stared at her confused for a moment, then a huge smile spread across her entire face. “You idiot, that’s not gas. It’s the baby! It’s OUR baby!” Sara lifted up Ava’s shirt and began placing loud smacking kisses across Ava’s stomach, proclaiming how much she loved both her wife and her baby in between each one. 

Sara was amazing during the whole pregnancy. She gave foot massages, tied Ava’s shoes when bending down became difficult, and even started cooking dinner from time to time. When Ava complained that she felt and looked like a beached whale, Sara reassured her that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and that she loved her deeper and wider than the Pacific Ocean. In bed at night, Sara would act as the big spoon, holding her wife in her arms, rubbing her stomach protectively, and providing a safe and warm haven. She spoke to the baby every night, reading stories and giving kisses and placing her hand on Ava’s stomach as the baby kicked vigorously. They decided that Ava would be Mama, and Sara would be Mommy, and that the whole Legends team would be uncles and aunts. Their baby would be coming into a world filled with family, support, and so, so, so much love. 

They knew that the baby was going to be a girl, which made Ava equal parts excited and nervous. She was excited for dresses and braided hair, tea parties and Barbie dolls. But she was also excited to teach her how to play volleyball, make mudpies, and throw a punch, and to watch Sara instructing her in martial arts. She couldn’t wait for bathtime and morning snuggles and someday taking her daughter shopping for her first bra. She was nervous about things she read about in her expectant mother book: colic and sleepless nights and mastitis and diaper blowouts. She was nervous about what would happen when her daughter broke her first bone, and was homesick when she went away to camp, and how to comfort her when her heart was broken for the first time (as well as how to stop Sara from causing serious bodily harm to whichever asshole boy or girl did it). She was nervous for the teenage years, because if this girl was anything like Sara, those years would be filled with disobedience, attitude, stubbornness, and a fair share of arguments. But most of all, she was nervous about her ability as a mother. Would she be a good enough mother for this special little girl? Would she be able to give her the best life possible? She expressed her fears to Sara, who held Ava’s face in her hands and told her that she would be the best mother that anyone could ask for, and that this baby was the luckiest person in the world to be the daughter of Ava Sharpe Lance. Ava still had her doubts, but knowing that her wife believed in her was reassurance enough.


	3. Laurel

Giving birth was simultaneously the most painful and awe-inspiring experience of Ava’s life. She chose to have the baby at home in a birthing pool, accompanied only by Sara, their midwife and doula, and Zari and Amaya, who were there as emotional supports for both mothers-to-be. During the parts of labor that were more calm, Zari cracked jokes to make Ava and Sara laugh, and Amaya fetched anything they asked for, from food to blankets to ice. Sara held Ava through her contractions, standing behind her and swaying with her gently, humming softly into her ear. 

When it came time to push, Sara joined Ava in the birthing pool, helping her each step of the way. Ava had long-abandoned any notion of modesty, and at this point in labor did not care one bit that she was stark naked in front of a whole host of people and not just her wife. With each wave of pain she cried and screamed for it please to be over, with Sara whispering that she was doing so well, and being so strong, and that their baby would be there before they knew it. 

After 23 long and often excruciating hours of labor, in a burst of pain and overwhelming happiness, Dinah Laurel Sharpe Lance made her grand entrance into the world. They had decided on her name from the very beginning, in memory of Sara’s sister, the beloved aunt that their own Laurel would never get the chance to know. Sara had said “I think it would make Laurel happy, to know that she’s living on in another kickass woman who’s going to change the world.” Ava lifted her from the water and cradled her against her chest, sobbing with overwhelming exhaustion, pain, and joy. “You’re here! Oh, my baby you’re here! I can’t believe you’re here!” She sobbed even more when Laurel took her first breath and let out a piercing wail, which was one of the most beautiful sounds she had ever heard. Sara was crying just as hard, touching her daughter’s head and whispering, “I love you, I love you, I love you” over and over. Ava didn’t know if she was saying it to her or to the baby, but she didn’t think it really mattered anymore. Laurel Lance was here, she was loved, and all was right in their small corner of the world.


	4. Becoming a Family

The first two months of Laurel’s life went by too quickly and too slowly, all at once. It was filled with nights where both mothers only got 1 or 2 hours of sleep at a time, countless dirty diapers (Sara proclaimed herself the Flash because she had mastered the art of changing the baby’s diaper at an almost superspeed), and sore, swollen breasts because it took both Ava and Laurel a while to get the hang of nursing. It seemed like Ava and Sara each spent days on end trying to console a screaming Laurel, although both realistically knew that it was only a few hours at most. It was exhausting, and slightly terrifying, but Ava wouldn’t choose to be going through the early days of motherhood with any other wife or any other baby.

Laurel seemed to grow and change by the day. Ava might be biased, but her daughter was truly the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen in her life. She had downy blonde hair on her head, eyebrows and eyelashes that were so light that they were almost invisible, and Ava’s nose and ears. She was in the top percentile for height, indicating that she probably inherited Ava’s long, lanky frame as well (Ava excitedly proclaimed that they had a future basketball and volleyball star on their hands). Her eyes were showing signs of becoming the same shade of blue as Sara’s, and her mouth and the deep dimple on her chin were all Sara, too. Ava couldn’t wait to see Sara’s smirk on their daughter’s face someday. There was also a streak of Sara’s stubbornness there, already evident in the newborn, which Ava joked was going to come back to bite them both in the ass in a few years. 

Sara loved rocking Laurel to sleep in the comfy chair in her nursery. While Laurel still slept in Ava and Sara’s room at night, her nursery was a special haven for the whole family, the walls painted pale lavender with “Laurel” written in white, curling script above the crib. It was filled with books and soft toys and adorable clothes and pictures of their family and friends. Ava often caught Sara staring at Laurel in awe as she rocked her, ghosting her fingertips along her face. “Can you believe we made something so perfect?” she would ask. “I think she got the best parts of both of us. I still can’t believe she’s ours.” Ava couldn’t believe it, either. 

Ava decided to take 4 months off from working at the Time Bureau, followed by another 3 months of working two days a week. Sara was also taking 3 months off from her duties on the Waverider, although the Legends came by to see the baby at least once a week. It was an absolute delight to watch gruff, tough-guy Mick Rory gently holding the tiny baby girl, as if he were afraid that he was going to break her. Sara even said that she saw him wipe away a tear, although Mick claimed that he simply had something in his eye. Both Ava and Sara knew better, and they also knew that their daughter would have him wrapped around her finger before he knew it. Ray brought Laurel an engineering book for babies, and said that he would make sure that she succeeded him as the Atom once he retired (which earned him a “Yeah I’m not so sure about that” from Sara). The others held her, and loved her, and demonstrated time and time again that you didn’t have to be blood-related to be a family.


	5. The Best Surprise in the World

Ava awoke at 3 am to the sound of her daughter crying. She groaned, not ready to get out of bed only two hours after she had last been up. Sara placed her hand on her shoulder. “Shhhhh, go back to sleep, babe. I got her.” 

Ava watched as her wife padded over to the bassinet that was settled a few feet from their bed. It had been both Sara’s and her sister’s bassinet when they were babies, and Sara’s mother had gifted it to them before their Laurel was born. Sara picked Laurel up, rubbing her back comfortingly. “What’s got my girl so upset, huh? Do you need a clean diaper?” Sara sniffed at the baby’s bottom before walking back over to the bed. 

“Sorry, Mama, I think she’s hungry” Sara whispered, placing Laurel in Ava’s arms. 

“Of course she is,” Ava muttered. She pulled one breast out of her tank top and helped Laurel latch on as she began to suckle hungrily. “She got YOUR appetite. I swear all the kid does is eat and poop.”

“What can I say, she likes your boobs as much as I do” Sara said, giving her a wink. 

“Oh shut up!” Ava laughed quietly. “My two boob-loving girls. What am I going to do with you?”

“I know a few things you can do to ME once she goes back to sleep.” 

“Ohhhhhh no you don’t. I’m too tired now. Maybe during her morning nap though,” Ava said, trying to sound suggestive. 

She was still trying to get used to her post-baby body. Her breasts were bigger, she had stretch marks across her belly, and she had a slight pooch around her stomach that she was self-conscious about when naked. Sara lavished praises on all of these new features, despite Ava’s insecurity. It was obvious that she was enjoying the larger breasts, as evidenced by the amount of attention she gave them when they were fooling around, and she loved the stretch marks and pooch because they were evidence of Laurel, the greatest gift her wife ever could have given her. 

“I’ll definitely be taking you up on that offer,” Sara said with a smile. Ava thought she might go back to sleep, but she settled back on the pillow and watched her wife and daughter, her eyes filled with so much joy and love. 

Ava switched Laurel to feed on the other side, and managed to zone out for a bit. After a while, she noted slight snuffling sounds that indicated that Laurel wasn’t really eating anymore, but simply suckling for comfort and closeness. She detached Laurel from her breast with a slight pop and pulled her tank top back into place. Sara was still watching them.

“What are you thinking about?”

Sara smiled. “My two beautiful girls. How did I get so lucky to have both of you?”

Ava leaned forward and kissed her wife softly. “Funny, I was just thinking that I was the lucky one. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Both of you. Why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll snuggle with Laurel for a bit before putting her back down.” 

Ava transferred the baby into Sara’s arms. Sara settled Laurel onto her chest, and Laurel cuddled in with a sigh, sucking contentedly on Sara's collarbone. Ava cuddled in as well, resting her head on the pillow next to Sara’s and running her hand up and down Sara’s arm. 

“I never imagined I’d ever get to do this,” Sara said softly. “After everything… the Queen’s Gambit and the League of Assassins and Lazarus Pit and being possessed by Mallus. I thought I was totally broken and incapable of being loved. And then you came into my life and helped me heal. You loved all the good parts of me, and the broken parts too. And then we had this wonderful little girl. I thought I knew what love was, and then I met her… I didn’t know I could love something so much.” Sara smiled at Ava. “I mean, I love you just as much as I love her, but it’s a different kind of love.”

Ava rubbed Sara’s arm again. “I know what you mean. It’s like, you’d do anything to protect her, anything to make her happy.”

Sara bent down to place a kiss on the baby’s soft head. “Exactly. I dunno… I guess I had forgotten for so long what it feels like to be happy and loved. And you gave me that again, and I am so, so grateful. My whole world is right here in this room. You and Laurel. And every day that I wake up next to you is like a surprise, the best surprise in the world.”

Ava smiled at that. “What can I say? Sara Lance, life with you is always full of surprises.”


End file.
